Dark and Light
by Orasa
Summary: AU, Duo and Heero are on opposite sides of an age-old conflict...


Whoo...FINALLY got around to re-doing this one! Hehe, it's a bit longer now and has an added scene...enjoy!  
  
Title: Dark and Light  
  
Authors: Orasa Nekuma  
  
Warnings: AU, bit of weirdness, bit of angst…  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own the show or any of the kawaii characters from it *dammit*...  
  
Pairings: 1x2  
  
Note: I started writing this at like 11:00 Tuesday night, so don't blame me if it kinda sux…blame my parents. They made me stay up and decorate the house for Halloween….…oh yea, this was written for today (written on Halloween ^_^). Thanx to trowacko for the beta! ^^  
  
  
  
//blah blah//= private thoughts  
  
"blah blah"= spoken words  
  
The alley shimmered with eagerness, cloaked in the cold dark of night. It was there, waiting silently for someone to chance along its path. Waiting for a victim. Suddenly, a dark silhouette of a figure appeared at its far end. Without hesitation, the figure walked into the alley. The creatures stationed in the alley, waiting for just such an occasion as this, moved to attack, but then shrank back in fear as they realized who it was among them. The man who walked down the length of the alley was dressed entirely in black with a big, hooded cloak completing his ensemble. As he glanced from side to side, his eyes sparkled from beneath the hood like eerie violet gems.  
  
In the middle of the alley, he stopped and looked around him at the creatures cowering away from him. "Oh, calm down," he finally said. "I haven't come for you…not tonight." At this, the creatures slumped in relief and then began bowing to the man, proclaiming his mercy and grace. They understood that he was of their kind. But they also knew this one was something more than they were and would kill them just for the amusement of it if he felt like doing so. The man shook his head at their foolishness and continued down the alley to the apartment at the end.  
  
When he reached the wall at the end of the dark alley, he looked up at a window on the third floor and then he raised one hand. He spoke one word in a strange otherworldly language and a sudden wind sprang up beneath him, lifting him into the air until he was level with the window. He spoke several more words and then glided through the window as if he were insubstantial. The man smiled to himself as he thought of his quarry.  
  
Tonight he was after one of the Hunters. They were such a nuisance; preying on the creatures of Dark just so they and their human friends could be safe from death. But that was rather ironic, because eventually they would all die. The creatures of Dark included the expected demons and vampires, plus several other creatures that weren't quite as widely know. Those of the Light had the same mix of well-known and secret creatures, the most well-known being the angels.  
  
The Hunters were the middle ground, the half Light, half Dark beings who hunted the Dark creatures for the profit given them by the humans. Of course, there were some Hunters who did just the opposite. They helped the Dark hunt and destroy the humans and the Light, believing this would keep the Dark beings from killing them later. A Hunter was rumored to be tireless, unstoppable until its prey was dead or banished from earth. The man he was after tonight was one of the ones who hunted the Dark. One of the better ones.  
  
But tonight, the Hunter would be at his weakest. Being as he was, half and half, this night would render him nearly helpless. For tonight was Samhain, All Hallows Eve, Halloween. And there was also a full moon in the sky. The combination of the date and the moon would be calling to the Dark side of him, calling him to come and join the Dark in their yearly hunts on this night. And so, the part of him that was usually in control, the Light part, would be virtually helpless.  
  
The man the Dark creatures had bowed to was himself something all together different. He too was neither Dark nor Light, but he was not the same as the weak Hunters. He was a new breed of being, bred out of necessity by the Dark…specifically created to hunt the Hunters. //Tonight…tonight you die, Hunter…// The man smiled and let his hood slip from his face as he approached the bed where the nearly helpless Hunter lay.  
  
  
  
Heero rolled over, fighting yet another Dark dream that was trying to take him over. Stubbornly, he ignored the Dark creatures' pleas for him to join them, firmly holding on to his Light self. Suddenly, he felt another presence in the room. His eyes snapped open to see a strange man leaning over him, a wicked grin on his face. Heero jumped out of bed, landing unsteadily on the floor on the other side.  
  
Once he'd regained his balance, with the bed between them, he studied the man across from him. Strangely, he couldn't tell exactly what the man was, Dark or Light. //He looks almost like another Hunter…but he feels different somehow…// Heero didn't really know what or who the man was, but from the way he was looking at him, Heero could only assume that whatever he was, he was allied with the Dark. But he didn't really look Dark at first glance.  
  
Unlike most Dark creatures, his skin had some color to it and his hair, which fell into his face in long bangs, was a chestnut brown, not the usual pitch black. His eyes…his eyes were the strangest thing about him. They were a deep violet color, a mixture of red, the normal Dark eye color, and blue, the purest Light color. At the moment, those eyes were drilling into the Hunter with nearly killing force. //Why doesn't he attack?// Heero thought, confused.  
  
  
  
Duo stared at the Hunter in front of him. This one really was good. Most wouldn't even be able to stand up at this point, in the middle of the night on Halloween, with a full moon in the sky. But this man was on his feet and steady and obviously thinking rationally about who and what was confronting him. Duo decided to play with this one a bit before killing him. //Hmm…he does look sorta cute…// He mentally licked his lips and then smiled, a grim, definitely not nice smile, and said, "Hello, Hunter. I have come to kill you." He continued to stare at the Hunter. //He reminds me of someone…who?…//  
  
Heero started at the man's voice. It was different as well, not the norm for either Light or Dark creatures. His voice was a clear Light tenor, instead of a Dark bass or low baritone, and yet within it he could faintly hear the raspy sound of death which tainted all Dark voices. Suddenly, a wave of Dark urgings came over Heero as a the curtains over the window shifted in an inexplicable breeze, letting the moonlight flood the room. He stumbled backwards with the force of the Darkness and nearly fell over a chair. Catching himself at the last moment, he fought off the urgings. When his vision cleared, he found himself halfway slumped against the far wall, with the man still watching him. He straightened up again as the breeze died, then asked, "Why? Who…and what…are you?"  
  
The man laughed and said, "Well, Hunter…you ARE a strong one! You interest me, so I'll tell you." The man bowed slightly. "My name is Duo. I am the new breed of Hunter…raised and trained to hunt your kind." He grinned evilly, and at the same time fought not to let his emotion show. He had nearly forgotten and revealed too much about himself...about Solo. He and Solo had grown up together as brothers and had eventually become lovers. But then Solo had been taken away and Duo had never seen him again…and he'd been alone ever since.  
  
Heero stared at him. //A new breed of Hunter…well that explains his strange appearance…// Then a thought occurred to him. None of the other Dark Hunters that had come against him had ever spoken, or waited for anything before attacking him in fury. What was making this one wait? "Why haven't you attacked me?" Heero asked, moving slowly toward his sword, which was propped against the wall to his right.  
  
Suddenly, Duo's eyes flared as he mumbled another word…and Heero's sword instantly leapt up from the floor and flew into the Dark Hunter's grasp. "Uh uh uhh," he scolded, laying the sword at his feet. "Can't have you attacking me until we've finished our little talk, now can we?" Heero just glared at him. Then another breeze blew the curtains aside and this time the Dark urge was so strong that he fell to the floor with the force of it.  
  
This time, the Dark showed him a vision…a vision which included the Dark Hunter who had come to kill him. The two of them were in a room together, being instructed in their powers…how to kill, how to maim, and how to control…as well as other things. As he lay there on the floor, it came to him that this was actually a memory. A memory of the time before. Before the day when he woke up on the streets as a small child. A child who was taken in by a human family and quickly put into the school for Hunters once they realized what he was. Finally, the memory-vision passed and Heero stood up to look at the Dark Hunter before him.  
  
Duo was staring at the Hunter as he picked himself up off the floor. For a moment, he thought he had seen something he recognized in the man's deep blue eyes. Trying to recall what it was, Duo played back his memory in slow motion. When he saw the flash in the man's eyes this time, he recognized it as the look Solo always got in his eyes when he was trying to fight something inside of him. His eyes suddenly widened. //No…it can't be…they told me he was dead…no…//  
  
Heero saw the look on Duo's face and tried in vain to remember any other memories that contained the Dark Hunter. But nothing came and the one he had just had was already fading. He tried to remember more, but the thoughts slipped through his grasp like water. Finally, he decided to figure it out later. Right now, this Duo was trying to kill him. He reached behind him and grabbed the standing lamp. Knocking off the top, he quickly positioned it in front of him like a quarterstaff.  
  
"Well, aren't you clever?" Duo asked as he threw Heero's sword out the window, breaking the glass in the process. As the sword hit the ground outside and glass shards rained down around it, Duo drew his scythe and faced the Hunter, a confident smile on his face. Suddenly, Heero rushed toward him, swinging his homemade staff toward Duo's head. Duo easily blocked the strike with the staff of his scythe and then angled the blade of the weapon into a downward slash meant to cut open Heero's stomach.  
  
Heero jumped back, a bit startled by Duo's speed. Then he came in again, more cautiously this time. He began his attack with a few jabs and spins, trying to lure Duo into watching his neatly twirling weapon. But Duo anticipated that, and executed a series of perfectly timed blocks and counters, picking off each attack as it came. As the two sparred back and forth, each began to notice that it was almost as if they knew what the other would do before they did it. It wasn't like mind-reading, but more like a very old memory of sparring together before.  
  
Then Heero suddenly changed his grip on the staff, holding it like a sword and came forward with an attack Duo had only seen one other person ever use. The first part of the attack was designed to bring the defender into a vulnerable position. Then the attacker would spin around, ending with his sword at his enemy's throat (1). Heero performed the attack just as Solo used to, and, just as before, Duo was helpless to stop it. It was only because Heero was holding a staff and not a sword that Duo was not killed.   
  
As it was, he ended up on the floor with Heero standing over him, the cold metal of the staff pressed against his throat. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you," Heero said. Duo gasped. //That...that's exactly what Solo used to say...when he won. Th-there's no way!// Heero stared in confusion as Duo's face went nearly white with shock at his words. He didn't understand what was so frightening about them. After all he'd said that to every Dark creature he'd killed. All the others had snarled at him, tried to attack him again, something. None had ever just frozen, as Duo had.  
  
He didn't understand. That is, he didn't until Duo whispered, unbelieving, "Solo?" The way he said the name, so softly and uncertain, with an undertone of something much more, some much greater feeling, hit Heero like a magic spell, releasing everything.  
  
He fell to the floor again as memories surged up in his mind and threatened to overwhelm him with their force. Memories of being born from the tanks…of his first sight of Duo, his brother, they told him. Later he'd learned Duo wasn't really his blood brother…and later than that, they had become lovers. Then he remembered his many awkward questions…the questions about the Light and about redemption that had made their instructors nervous…and had finally prompted them to abandon him on the streets…with the body and mind of a nameless three-year-old.  
  
As the memories faded away, he stood once more and looked into Duo's eyes. //Now I know why I was always so much better at everything having to do with fighting the Dark. I was made to be better…// "Duo…" he said, a note of wonder creeping into his voice. He knew now that he was doing the wrong thing in not turning back to the Dark…back to Duo. "I...I remember…I was…I AM…Solo. I'm back."   
  
Duo stared up at him from the floor for a few seconds and then Heero leaned down and pulled the smaller man to his feet. "It's really me, Duo," he said, letting a smile show through. Duo whooped and without questioning, without a word, Duo leapt into Heero's arms, sobbing with renewed love and passion for his long-lost love.  
  
"Solo," he said, "I thought you were gone, I thought they had…" Duo sniffed loudly…"killed you…"  
  
"Shh…" Heero mumbled into Duo's hair. "It's alright, my little one…I'm back now, and this time, I'm not going to leave. I won't ever leave you again."  
  
Duo looked up, hope shining in his violet eyes for the first time in uncountable years. "Never?" he asked quietly.  
  
"Never, koi," Heero replied and carried him over to the bed to prove it.  
  
*~Owari~*  
  
Whoo hoo! REVIEW PLEASE!!!  
  
Notes:  
  
(1)=at this point, I SO wish I was R.A. Salvatore and I could describe this entire attack in detail like he'd be able to! But...I'm not so oh well. Use your imagination ^.^ 


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